Outdoor Columnists

More than 300 participants move through the course at the annual Eldorado Springs Cure race in 2005. This year's four-mile event is Aug. 16.
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JOSHUA LAWTON
)

A murmur went through the crowd gathered beneath the television hanging from the ceiling of the Boulder Running Co. on Saturday afternoon.

Customers and store employees alike had stopped to watch the finals of the men's 10,000 meters, one of the highlights of the 2012 London Olympic Games for fans of distance running.

It was a dramatic race, one with filled with surges, tactics and varying strategies based on the fitness and finishing speed of the handful of runners vying for medals.

While the rest of us can only dream of being as fast as world record holder Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia (26 minutes, 17.5 seconds) or former Buff Dathan Ritzenhein (who placed 13th in his third Olympic Games), the basic strategy employed by these elites could prove useful for the rest of us as we gear up for this month's busy local racing season.

Mike Sandrock

"Smart move; that's team tactics," former 2:08 marathoner Mark Plaatjes said softly, when Ethiopian Geb Gebremariam took the lead in the 10,000 and slowed down the pace.

Why was slowing down the pace smart? Because, Plaatjes, said, he was setting up countryman and defending champ Bekele -- hampered this season by injury -- for a finishing kick.

It seemed like the tactic might work, as Bekele was right at the front with a lap to go. It was, however, Great Britain's Mo Farah with the fastest finish. The native of Somalia took the crowd-pleasing gold medal, with American Galen Rupp moving into second down the backstretch to grab the silver.

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"Great race," was the comment from several in the Boulder Running Co. crowd. Afterward and on a Sunday run, I chatted with several of them, all excited by the display of world-class racing and by the prospect of their own racing to come in the next couple of weeks.

First up is Thursday's Pearl Street Mile, one of the premier Boulder racing events for the non-elites among us. The event comprises several waves, each with competitive age groupers vying for prize money and respect. The short distance guarantees fast and furious sprints along the 13th Street finish.

One key to racing well at the Pearl Street Mile, advised former masters (over-40) winner Peter Hegelbach, is not being fooled by the distance. Many runners go out fast on the opening 800 meters, only to feel the "altitude monkey" jump on their backs as they struggle back in.

"Hold back until the traffic circle on the return coming up Spruce," Hegelbach said, referring to the climb back to 13th Street after rolling downhill on the way out Pearl Street. "And when you turn the corner at Boulder Theater, the finish is farther down than it looks."

Another popular August Thursday evening event where smart racing is key is the 34th annual Eldorado Springs Cure 4-miler on Aug. 16. This is one of the oldest races in the state; one of the few where all the proceeds go to charity; and is a mainstay of the summer racing season. Runners come to the Cure for the many giveaways (if you stay until the end, you are almost certain of taking home one of the random merchandise prizes) and for the post-race party at the Eldorado Springs artesian pool.

The Cure starts at the mouth of Eldorado Canyon and heads east before looping through a neighborhood and returning for the slight incline into town.

"Eldorado Springs is a good one," said Don Hayes, 80. Hayes, a longtime Boulder Road Runner, is an example of why many of us like to come out and race, even though our personal best days might be behind us.

"I love the camaraderie of racing, the ambience of it," he said.

Hayes' advice? Be prepared for the unexpected.

"I was at the Eldorado Springs race one year, and one of the fast, young Japanese runners fell down flat right at the start," said Hayes, whose next race is the Aug. 19 Heart & Sole Half Marathon (another charity event) at the Boulder Reservoir. "Oh, yes, I fall at races. You just get back up and finish."

That was shown during the London Olympics women's marathon, when Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia fell at an aid station. She got back up to win the gold medal, in a way that illustrates another key racing point: Have a race plan in mind before you start. That way you can stay relaxed when your best-laid plans go awry.

The way Gelana won her marathon gold illustrates one of the best racing strategies you can employ. Gelana clocked 1:13:13 for the first 13.1 miles of the marathon, followed by the second half in 1:09:54. Running the second half of a race faster than the first is called "negative splits" and is the technique of many successful runners: It means being patient and prudent in the early going so you can pick off your competitors in the latter part of the race.

Run negative splits in whatever distance you race, from the mile to the marathon, and you will likely ensure your race experience is a positive one.

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